72 



THE MUSEUM. 



Culcita pentangularis. Gray. 

 A Pacific form of Starfish, of a solid form and sort of reddish brown color. As can be seen 

 from cut the upper surface is covered with minute tubercles while the under surface 

 is covered with small tubercles in regular order. 



but draw in a movth-full of water, con- 

 tract his mouth, and eject it with such 

 force and precision as to seldom miss 

 his aim, and bring the pray into the 

 water where he eats it at leisure. 

 Many animals are known to squirt vari- 

 ous liquids, both for defense and attack. 

 The Cephatopods, those quaint mollusk 

 of the ocean, emit ink when disturbed, 

 which so darkens the water as to con- 

 ceal them from their enemies and en- 

 able them to fiee unobserved. Many 

 insects exude bitter or fetid liquids; in 

 •these cases, and in others too numer- 

 ous to mention, the animal finds in his 

 -own organism a secretion which he 

 finds more or less useful to his consrva- 

 tion. In the Toxotcs, however, the 

 •case is different, for he takes up a for- 

 eign body which he aims at an intend- 

 ed victim, which he strikes. It is this 

 method which is more correctly com- 

 pared with the organized hunting of 

 man. Other fish, as the CJiclinous of 

 Java, has been seen to do the same 

 thing, and to repeat the operation un- 

 til he accomplishes his object. 



Utilization of Captured Game. 



After an animal has captuted his prey 

 it frequently becomes a queston of how 

 to make use of it, either because the 

 eatable parts are buried in a thick 

 shell, or because he has captured some 

 animal which rolls itself into a ball and 

 is covered with sharp bristles or 

 plumes. 



Many times a bird is perplexed as to 

 how it is going to carry off a round ob- 

 ject which has no projections. An ex- 

 ample of this is found in our common 

 Red-headed Woodpecker {Mc/aiicrpcs 

 ej-j'throccphalns.) He is very fond of 

 robbing orchards and is also very 

 greedy. After filling up on all he can 

 eat, he considers the best way of car- 

 rying another apple off for a further 

 meal. This he accomplishes by plung- 

 ing his open beak into the apple, the 

 two beaks entering separately and hold- 

 ing firmly; he then detatchcs it and 

 files away to some retreat. 



When the animal makes use of some 

 foreign body, as a tool or a fulcrum, to 

 achieve some object, it more nearly 

 approaches the acts of man. A snake 

 frequently swallews an entire eg^ with 



